Toxic
by moi-moi819
Summary: "I've met viruses like you before-" "There are no viruses like me, baby," I interjected quickly. She went on as if she hadn't heard me. "Times are getting tough for a virus. What everyone could use is a little help. All I want to do is help you, Mr. Thrax." I smirked. "Don't move, I might make a mess," I said before pressing the tip of my heated claw against her forehead.
1. Prologue

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I've had a few chapters for this story written out for several months now. I just never bothered to post it for some reason. But, I think I'm willing to share it now. Let me know what you think since this is my first attempt at an Osmosis Jones fanfic.

 _ **Summary:** "I've met viruses like you before-"_

 _"There are no viruses like me, baby," I interjected quickly._

 _She went on as if she hadn't heard me. "Times are getting tough for a virus. What everyone could use is a little help. All I want to do is help you, Mr. Thrax."_

 _I smirked. "Don't move, I might make a mess," I said before pressing the tip of my heated claw against her forehead._

 _Ever wonder just how Thrax was able to accomplish so much before the movie began? Look no further. I've got all the answers right here...(ThraxXOC)_

~:~

Prologue

When two, deadly creatures come together to make something even more _contagious,_ well, that's just beautiful.

 _Streptococcus pyogenes._ My mama's side of the family. Nearly one hundred years of recognition in big time medical books. That's all thanks to good breeding. Each new strain of bacteria- each new generation- more virulent than the last. Worked up a nice name for themselves- _Scarlet Fever._ Like all bacteria though, they're easily handled by a bit of antibiotic. (Humans are getting pretty wise).

My daddy's another story. Some young, new cat just making his way onto the viral scene- no recognition, a real no body. But, he had big dreams. He was gonna be the biggest thing to hit the scene since the Black Death. Dengue… Ebola… AIDS… They were all gonna look like a common cold compared to him. Things just didn't go as planned at first.

Immunity forces were getting smarter. Knocking out any up and coming virus before they could get a hold of any body. What a time to try to make a mark on history…

Eventually, old pops got wise to the game. Immunity was getting better at handling viruses and those humans were finally using their brains for once. They came up with a whole slew of "antibiotics". (They probably thought they were hot spit).

Before becoming "enlightened", pops was spreading and sharing his genes with any virus he could find before Immunity caught up to him. If he was gonna go out, he was gonna leave behind someone even better to take his place. Then it hit him. None of those viruses back then had the kind of genes needed to make a _real_ killer. But a certain bacterial strain did. And one she-cell in particular caught his eye...

You can probably guess where this story is goin' by now. Pops met the perfect bacteria to "procreate" with, infected her with some viral DNA, and out pops the _hottest_ cat to the viral scene all ready to take over. The name's Thrax. Careful, I'm contagious.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Gaining notoriety was a lot harder than you'd think. Viruses only care about who you know, whose strain you came from- that's sort of jazz. As you know, my pops was a nobody scrambling to stay alive- worthless to most. My mama's side at least had _some_ credibility. Riding the family coattails for all they were worth, I made my way around different viral family circles.

It was humiliating relying on other viruses appease that unquenchable part of me that thirsted for murder. I'm a virus. My only job is to kill. And there's nothing I love more than watching a city go up in flames thanks to _my_ handiwork. Not some lazy, fat cat who-

"Boy! Are you listening?"

I resisted the urge to roll my yellow eyes. Slowly, I looked away from the wall I had been glaring at to stare at the virus sitting at the head of the table. I was currently sitting with a Rabies family. They'd been kind enough to take me under their wing and show me how the game works. Every member of the family was glaring heavily at me now, their faces fixed in frustration. I smirked before pulling myself up in my seat to sit at attention. "I'm listenin', Lyse," I soothed in my most charismatic tone.

Lyse had been head of the Verde family for several years now. He was a balding, stout virus in a cheap, green suit. It looked like most of the dark green hair on his head had moved down to his upper lip. Like the rest of his family, he had a sickly green tone in his membrane. I'd never thought about it before, but after meeting _these_ cats, I started getting _real_ fond of my red skin.

Members of this rabies strain had a strong foothold in almost every rodent in the area. There were a few other strains trying to overthrow the status quo and the Verde's family altogether.

"Good. I don't keep you around just so you can fool around. I'm teachin' ya the ropes," Lyse said before rising slowly to pace around the long, round table slowly. His hand pat the shoulder of each male virus he passed while he continued to talk. "The Viola family thinks that they can just intrude on the family turf and everything will be all hunky dory. It's time that we put them in their places."

While the others started mumblin' and grumblin' in agreement, I stared at my long, red claw in fascination. Such a deadly weapon. Then again, everything about me was deadly. I smirked.

"Thrax, you'll go with Bruno. Don't screw this up," Lyse said and pointed a stubby, sausage finger at me. I gave him an uninterested stare. Like I really cared about family control over a bunch of _rodents._ I could be making a name for myself in the big leagues. No one gave a spit about rodent viruses.

"Lyse, remind me. How long have I been here?" I questioned while turning my hand around to admire my greatest weapon from all sides.

Lyse was stumped. Everyone else in the room looked around at each other with sighs and rolls of their eyes. To them, I was a bit of a scatterbrain- never focused on the "ultimate" goal of rodent domination. "Six months and don't forget it. Now, can I count on you to back Bruno up?" Lyse repeated. Bruno was easily the real muscle of the family. He was a bulky fool with nothing more than his brawn going for him. It was astounding how much he actually looked like a gorilla (mutant viral recombination?).

"No problem, Lyse. I'll get it done," I smirked. Lyse nodded before moving on with assigning jobs. Six months, huh? I frowned deeply. I'm the perfect killer. I'm not meant to _incubate_. And I sure as spit wasn't meant to incubate in a _rat._ It was time for a change of scenery.

~:~

I truly was the perfect killer. I was a genetic cross between two of the best killers in history- a virus capable of travelling and living without a host and a bacterium with some of the deadliest genes available to bacterial kind. I was meant for more than hiding out in rodent. If I was gonna make my move and break out of this rut of a life, I would need to act fast and smart.

I walked behind Bruno slowly with several others following behind. Our matching green suits signaled to any cell who spotted us that we were not to be interfered with. I held back a grimace. I'll always hate the color green. I'm sure of it.

We were headed out on our assignment. Lyse expected us to take care of the head of the Viola family and his relations. We'd gotten hold of valuable information on the Viola family's whereabouts. They'd been struggling to maintain their growing army of rodent hosts. They'd had to make cut backs and were all cooped up in one rat licking their proverbial wounds. Now was the best time to strike.

Bruno and I were easily Lyse's lead guys. He'd always count on us to handle to big jobs. Bruno because he was some serious muscle and me because… Well, I'm _me._ I wasn't just deadly to cells. I could take down any virus if I put my mind to it. Lyse was lucky to have me. But not for long.

"The boss expects us back once the job is done. Don't waste time. Knock out these fools and get back," Bruno said in his deep, slow voice. I rolled my eyes at him before walking ahead. "Thrax, stick to me."

"Whatever you say, Big Man," I chuckled and continued on. I could hear him exhale loudly behind me, but he eventually caught up to me. We were in the rat's spinal cord headed up towards the brain now. It was a few more seconds before I could hear the telltale sounds of fighting and gunfire. "Looks like the party's getting started."

"Let's get moving," Bruno grunted.

With Bruno's muscle, I only had to stand back and watch him plow through Viola family members as if they were nothing. He would be a good workhorse for when I got out of this life, but I couldn't trust him. Bruno isn't smart, but he is loyal to Lyse and his family. He'd rather take me down than aid in my goals. It's not like I need the help anyways. I would make history alone.

After Bruno took down the last of guards outside the mayor's office, I pushed the door open with a wide smirk. Shaking behind the desk was a lean, young virus in a navy suit. "You know, when I picture the professional head of the Viola family, I was pictured _more,"_ I taunted while examining my claw. I started to heat up the appendage.

"Don't do this. You're not like them. Just let me go and we can work together. I can recognize potential. We can work together as partners," Victor Viola bargained for his life.

" _Partners?"_ I questioned in my sweetest tone. Even then, it still left Vic trembling. I chuckled lowly before approaching him, my claw glowing brightly. "Sorry, Vic. I work _alone._ "

I'll never get tired of the rush I get after a kill. I don't get to do it as often as I'd like, but the feelings never fade. Killing another virus was always difficult. I could only attack them in the head, directly on the genetic material. Destroy that and they were gonners. I stepped back from the boiling, red mess formerly known as Victor Viola.

"Alright, let's go," Bruno grunted from his place by the door. I smirked and turned to follow him out. In the long run, I wasn't going to miss the gorilla. Packing as much heat into my claw as I could, I pierced the back of the gorilla's skull and watched him stumble and fall. He made several groaning noises before they faded into gurgles and he too boiled away. With a smirk, I stepped over him and moved towards the hypothalamus.

Lyse wasn't going to let me go easily. I was the best man he had. I'd have to make my own way out. What better way than to knock out most of the family in one fiery blaze? "It's time to turn up the heat," I chuckled as I broke into the hypothalamus. The scientists monitoring the rat's body temperature froze up at the sight of me, but I smiled at them in return. "You're being discharged, friends. I'll take over from here," I said before posing a claw to strike. They screamed in terror, but their screams were cut short by my claw slicing through their membranes.

Looking up at the DNA turning before me, I chuckled again. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," I said before reaching in towards the genetic code. I could spot the portion of the DNA responsible for temperature control easily enough. It stood out in the sequence like a beacon. Plucking it from the strand, I admired it for several seconds before watching the helix twist and morph out of shape. I tsked at the sight before turning to leave. I could easily tolerate the heat, but that didn't mean that I wanted to be here when things went up in smoke.

"Freedom's never tasted so good," I mused as I made my way towards the rat's outer ear. I could go wherever I wanted. I probably should go back to Lyse one more time. I would need to finish the job. "Then again, what's Lyse got going for him? Most of his strain's about to go up in flames," I chuckled while shrugging out of the green jacket and tossing it away behind me. I'll need some new clothes. I'm done wearing green.


	3. Chapter 2

It's even harder to catch a break in human cities than rodent. Don't let any sucker tell you any different. I'd hate to think how difficult life would be if I weren't overflowing with charisma. My first victim was going to be a man named Richard- a twenty-eight-year-old, single cop living in California. The Immunity force working in Richard were top notch. Then again, all I had to compare them to were the under qualified force I saw in sewer rats. I was forced to only go out at night to acquire what I needed. My progress was frustratingly slow.

One night into my stay, I decided to hit up a club downtown. I slipped my new shades over my eyes as I walked, observing others behind their dark tint. The Cell (worst name for a club I've ever heard) was easy to get into. A few bills got me passed the bouncer and into the loud, darkened club. There were she-cells dancing on the stages with cells of all types leering up at them. Running my hand through my red locks to smooth them back, I took a seat at the bar. "Give me the strongest thing you got," I ordered before turning to let my eyes scan around the club. I wasn't impressed by what I saw.

" _And now for the lady of the evening, Mystic!"_

At the loud hoots and hollers from every male in the room, I raised a brow. Casually, I sipped from my drink and eyed the stage. When the sounds of someone plucking on bass strings filled my ears, I relaxed slightly. Smooth jazz in a strip joint? I'd seen it all.

The she-cell who'd stepped out into the stage was... My jaw dropped. Legs for days, translucent, blue hair cascading down her back, thin waist with nice hips, a deliciously round bust all wrapped up in a silk kimono. All of that was only enhanced by her face- round with pouty, ruby lips, small nose, and delicately soft features. But it was her eyes that got me- onyx black with a hard edge to them. With a single stare, she could make any male feel like less of a man and always inadequate. I smirked slowly. I recognized the lyrics of the song playing over the sound system. _Fever_. The more I stared at her hypnotic dance, the more I realized. Her translucent blue color would look better _red._

I waited in the alley behind the club after it had closed. Richard would be waking up soon for his morning jog and the Immunity force would be back on the streets. I'd need to vanish before then. But before that... My yellow eyes narrowed behind my shades when the door opened and someone stepped out. I was well hidden in the shadows, my black trench coat blending in perfectly. I smirked with I saw her. She was wearing a tan overcoat, her long hair pinned up and her face devoid of any makeup. Only her clear heels signaled to the world what she did after hours. She descended the steps behind the building before shutting the door behind her. She turned to walk away, but suddenly stopped. I raised a brow curiously.

"I know you're there," her voice said. An alto tone that held the promise of bodily harm to any that crossed her. I chuckled lowly before stepping out from the shadows. At the sight of me, she relaxed slightly while eyeing me distrustfully. "And what do you want?"

"Nothing much, baby. The name's Thrax. I saw your show and just had to tell you just how gorgeous you are in person," I cooed with a grin. My fingers caressed her cheek lightly before turning her face to me. She didn't even look intimidated. I felt my interest spike even more. Who was this _fine_ creature?

"Wouldn't be the first time I've heard that. If you don't mind, Mr. Thrax, I've got to get home. Some of us have to work," she said before moving my hand off her cheek and turning to leave.

"You just got off work, baby. Tell you what, you give me your name and I'll let you go on your way," I bargained in my smoothest tone. After several seconds, I removed my shades and stared down into her guarded eyes.

She didn't look impressed at first. But after getting a glimpse of my shining, yellow eyes, hers widened before narrowing. She smirked knowingly. "Katerina. I'll be going now, Mr. Thrax," she said in a tone dripping with seduction. Maybe I imagined her flirtatious tone. I highly doubted it.

~:~

The next day, I was just chilling in my pad biding my time until nightfall when Richard went to sleep. It was frustrating being cooped up all day, especially when I had better things that I could be doing. With an angry and frustrated glare, I gazed down at the city below me from with window in my hotel suite. Everything in Richard was pretty upscale and well kept. It was a nice change from the dumps I was used to. In the middle of my glaring, I heard a knock on the door. Room service finally decided to get the lead out...

I opened the door with a hard look on my face, but stopped at the sight before me. A slow grin worked its way onto my face. "Well... well... well. Look what the cat dragged in," I remarked.

"Room service," Katerina said with a smirk, a tray of food in her hands. She shoved the tray at my chest before striding into the room confidently. I shut the door behind her before turning to face her. When not on the clock, she wore a navy button up with a black pencil skirt and black heels that looked like they could poke an eye out. Her wavy tresses were loose and flowing once again.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Katerina?" I questioned smoothly.

"Mr. Thrax, I don't think I told you what my day job was before I left. I was in a hurry after all," she started while staring up at me with hard, alluring eyes. I was having mild difficulty focusing.

"Mm-mmm, baby," I drawled and stepped closer.

"I'll give you a hint," she said and pulled out a black, leather wallet from within her top. She flipped it open with a smirk to shine the blue Immunity badge in my face. I stepped back in surprise before narrowing my eyes and heating up my claw. "What can I say? A girl's gotta eat, too. And being on the force helps ensure my safety and well-being."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the best undercover work there is. The stripper, Mystic, meets the most low-life scum the city of Richard has to offer. Then, Katerina the Immunity officer turns them in as part of the requirements for her day job," she said while staring up at me with a smirk.

"Are you threatening me, baby?" I questioned and stepped closer to her, brandishing my glowing claw.

She pushed my hand back down to my side with a small smile. "It's not a threat, Hun. It's an offer," she almost whispered. I drowned in my confusion. "The undercover work goes both ways. Some days, there might just be a bacteria hoping to eliminate the competition, but can't go to immunity himself for one illegal reason or another. That's where I come in. I rat out some scum bag and get paid both ways for it. I may even rat out someone who crossed me for the fun of it."

"That's cold," I grinned.

"It's not hard to tell that you're a virus, Mr. Thrax. You've come to take down Richard from the inside out. _I'm_ telling you to give up. Richard has the best immunity force a guy can have. He takes care of himself, eats right, diets, exercises, all that jazz. You won't be able to take him down on your own without a serious fight. One that you might lose. But, if you had help..." She was smirking confidently at me now as if she'd just given me an offer I couldn't refuse. I chuckled a bit before shaking my head at her. "I've met viruses like you before-"

"There are no viruses like me, baby," I interjected quickly.

She went on as if she hadn't heard me. "Did you know that Richard has been attacked by six different viruses in the past three months alone? Times are getting tough for a virus. What everyone could use is a little help. All I want to do is help you, Mr. Thrax."

"Just call me Thrax, baby," I started. "But I work alone. Besides, what do you get out of this?"

"There's a price on my head. My time is running out in this city. Immunity's good, but not good enough to get me out of this mess. And I'm getting the feeling that _you_ can," she said while poking me lightly on the chest. I raised a brow at her. "I've got an eye for these things. I can see that you've got big plans. That's great and all, but you won't get anywhere without some help and I'm the only one offering. You can try and fail to take down the city singlehandedly. Or accept my help, take on immunity and win, and we leave Richard as partners in crime. I was never really feeling the undercover life anyways. I think it's time I _branch out."_

I chuckled lowly before uncovering my plate of food. I wasn't exactly sure what this health food junk they were serving here was. Ignoring the main dish (just a _salad?),_ I eyed the plate of dessert- chocolate cake. Before I could take it, a blue finger swiped at some of the brown icing before bringing it to some matching, blue lips. Now I _know_ that look. I smirked. "You want to work with me, baby? Alright. But, if you're gonna work with me, you're gonna have to work _like_ me," I said with a grin before backing her into a corner. Trapping her between the wall and my body, I chuckled lowly. Even then, she didn't look the slightest bit scared. "Don't move, I might make a mess," I said before pressing the tip of my heated claw against her forehead. She grit her teeth to help bear the pain, but didn't scream. I can respect that.


	4. Chapter 3

It was almost time for Richard to go to sleep when I heard the sounds of soft moaning. Raising a brow, I looked over to see my newest protégé sitting up on the couch slowly. She was holding her head and blinking slowly to clear her vision. "I was right," I said as I approached her. Once I got close, her onyx eyes looked up at me in dazed confusion. I cupped a hand under her chin and grinned. "You look _much_ better in red, baby."

She gasped softly before looking down at herself. She let out a few shocked squeaks as she observed how her once-blue membrane was now a bright red. She ran her hands through her hair before pulling it in front of her face to observe it. "What... What did you do to me?" she asked.

"I just passed on some genes. Made you more like _me._ That ain't a problem. Is it?" I asked her with a creeping grin. This was obviously a test. No dutiful, Immunity cell would be able to stand the thought of being infected. Let's see just how much you want to work with ole Thrax...

After a few seconds, she pouted a bit before standing to check herself out from all angles. "I'm gonna miss the blue. I kinda liked it," she said before placing her hands on her hips. I smirked. At least she didn't fail the first test.

" _Trust_ me, sugar," I said as I slipped on my shades and walked over to the windows again. "Red's a much better look."

"Well then... What's the plan?"

"Wait until it gets dark. Once Immunity's patrol calms down for the night, I'll make my move on the hypothalamus," I said.

"No can do, Hun."

I narrowed my gaze before turning to her menacingly. "And why is that?"

"The mayor's been especially paranoid these past few months with all the potential infections from viral attacks. He's got Immunity posted all over the brain, spinal cord and other vital organs," she told me while she stretched out on the couch.

I ignored the way her breasts strained seductively against the fabric of her shirt and instead turned away with a growl. "Aw, spit!" I cursed. My shoulders hunched as I glared down at the city lights. If it wasn't one thing, it was another!

"You need to cool down, Hun. Luckily for you, I know the head of nervous system security," I heard Katerina say as a pair of hands rested on my shoulders.

I allowed her to straighten out my shoulders before smirking. "Oh _really?"_

"Mm-hmm. White blood cell that joined the force a little before I did. He's _real_ sweet on me. I can get you in to the hypothalamus. I've got a plan," she said with a sly smile.

I couldn't help it. I _liked_ that devious look. I have to say that it suited her. Chuckling darkly, I turned to face her fully. "Tell Big Daddy Thrax _all_ about it, baby..."

~:~

I hummed softly to myself as I strolled through the streets of Richard with my shades on. The streets were relatively empty tonight. Not many cells dared to venture out after night in Richard. Everyone was all about proper rest, plenty of fluids, exercise... I nearly scoffed. None of that would save them after tonight. After spending nearly a month in Richard waiting for the right moment to strike, I would be taking care of business _tonight._

I slowed to a stop when I approached the back of Cerebellum Hall. I hid in the shadows in an alleyway and eyed the backdoor. Just like Katerina said, there was one guard posted out back. It was a white blood cell of a massive build with a serious expression. Now _that_ looked like a cell ready to die for his body. I smirked when I saw Katerina finally enter the scene. She approached the guard with a sway of her hips, her hair swinging behind her as she walked. The guard's serious expression morphed into one of an excited dog as he grinned at Katerina.

"Hey there, Randy. They've got you on security detail tonight?" Katerina greeted with a small smile.

"Unfortunately," the guard replied with a sheepish shrug. "I didn't know you were posted in the brain tonight."

"I'm actually not. I came to see Marcus. I'm supposed to be undercover right now so don't tell," Katerina said while placing her index finger over her lips with a grin.

The guard grinned. "I won't tell. I was wondering what was up with the new color. I almost didn't recognize you."

Katerina shrugged before going over to the security pad. I watched her slide her badge over the screen, only for it to flash red. She tried it several more times before sighing. "Come _on._ Why aren't you working?" she groaned.

The guard quickly turned to face Katerina before placing a hand onto her shoulder. "It's okay. You probably don't have clearance since you aren't supposed to be here. Don't worry. I'll let you in," he said and took out his badge.

Katerina's face lit up brighter than any light ever could. "Oh _thank you,_ Randy! Your such a sweetheart," Katerina said while rubbing her hand along the large man's back. I narrowed my gaze before smirking. She was _good._ Suddenly, she made a "come here" motion with her finger behind the guard's back. I grinned slowly before moving out of the shadows while heating up my claw.

"Anything for you, Kat. There you go. Just head on up," Randy said while smiling down at Katerina and holding the door open for her.

"We will. Thanks," Katerina said with a smirk.

"What?" Randy asked just before I pierced his chest with a glowing claw. Randy's eyes bulged as he stared down at where my appendage was poking out of his chest and overheating his cytoplasm. I watched him splatter onto the ground in a blue puddle before shaking out my coat.

"Let's get going," Katerina said as she entered the building. "I assume you don't need help finding the hypothalamus from here?"

"Nah, baby. I'm good. I'll catch you on the flip side," I said with a low chuckle and strode down a hallway. There was only one way to go to get to the hypothalamus: up. If Katerina was right, there would be guards at every elevator but the stairs would be nearly barren. Pushing open the door to the emergency stairs, I grinned. Humming to myself as I climbed the stairs, I couldn't help but rub my hands together impatiently.

The hypothalamus was being guarded by two, low level cadets. They stood posted outside the door with their guns drawn and serious expressions on their faces. I nearly rolled my eyes at them. They _screamed_ newbies. Suddenly, an older officer walked up and nodded to the cadets. "I'll take over here. Go take a break," he said.

"Yessir," one of the cadets said before they both scurried away.

I waited for a few more seconds. The officer was relatively young, a slight five o' clock shadow on his face and a lean build. His shaggy hair was a bit unkept. He was about to slide his badge over the keypad, but a voice called out to him in time. "Marcus!"

Katerina jogged over to the officer with a bright smile on her face. It almost looked like she was running in slow motion from where I stood. What was she pulling trying to run in those heels? No sooner than I had thought this, Katerina was tripping over her own feet. I nearly rolled my eyes at her clumsiness until I saw her fall right into the officer's arms. I smirked. She was _really_ good.

"Oh. What's up with me? I'm such a clutz tonight," Katerina said in a breathy voice. From where I stood, I could hear all the seductive undertones.

"K-Katerina? W-what are you doing here? You weren't posted at the CNS tonight," Marcus said.

"You're not happy to see me?" Katerina questioned as she straightened up and folded her arms.

"No! I mean... I'm always happy to see you. I was just wondering why you were here," Marcus said and rubbed his arm nervously.

"Well, I was on my way to Tremors for my assignment when it just _hit_ me," Katerina said with a bright and loving smile. "I know you asked me out a while ago and I didn't have an answer for you then, but I have an answer for you now. It just made so much sense that I had to tell you right away!"

Narrowing my gaze, I silently made my way out of the stairwell. I wasn't sure what she was planning, but as far as I was concerned the guard was distracted.

"You... Are you saying yes?" Marcus asked with barely hidden glee. Katerina nodded enthusiastically. "That's _great_!"

Before I could take out the officer, Katerina's eyes widened in shock. She pushed Marcus to the side and shouted, "Look out!" My claw only slashed air as Marcus fell to the ground. I shot her a threatening glare. Her eyes widened slightly before she attempted to back away. Before she could, I quickly grabbed her by the arm and held her to me. "Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" she shouted as she struggled in my hold.

"Let her go! You're under arrest!" Marcus shouted and brandished his gun. With an irritated growl, I sliced his gun in half with my claw. Marcus balked.

"Marcus, run!" Katerina shouted from my arms.

"No way. I'm not leaving you," Marcus said before putting up his fists. I rolled my eyes. When his fist shot out towards my face, I gripped it in one hand and squeezed.

"How cute. You wanna play hero, lil man? Let's _go,"_ I said with a chuckle before touching the tip of my claw to his membrane. It didn't take long for the heat to spread up his arm and through this system. He didn't last long.

"You can let go now."

Glancing down at Katrina, I saw her shoot me an expectant stare. I shot her an unamused stare before releasing her. "And tell me why I shouldn't fry you alive for that little stunt?" I questioned with a sneer.

She dusted off her clothes with a roll of her eyes. "I was in character. Sue me," she said before picking up Marcus's fallen ID and opening the door.

I followed her inside and the door slid shut behind me. Approaching the spinning helix at the center of the room, I grinned. "Now, _that's_ a thing of beauty right there," I said before piercing the casing around the helix with my claw. The casing sparked and fought back for a few seconds before giving out and glowing red. " _There_ you are," I said with a grin before plucking the glowing, blue ball from the structure.

"All done?"

"I'm _all_ done here, baby. Let's blow this joint," I said before approaching Katerina. Suddenly, an alarmed blared over the speakers.

" _Spit_. Officers will be flooding the floor before you know it," Katerina cursed.

" _Relax,_ baby. Big Daddy Thrax has everything under control," I said before pulling her to me and storming over to the door. Just like she'd said, there were a few guards outside the door when we walked out.

" _Freeze!"_

 _"Put your hands in the air!"_

 _"Let her go!"_

Slipping the DNA bead into my pocket for safekeeping, I held my glowing claw under Katerina's neck. "Drop your weapons or she dies," I threatened.

"Stop him!" Katerina yelled and struggled a bit in my arms for show.

"Aw, _spit._ Kat, is that _you?_ " one of the officers said with a grave look.

"It's me! He killed Marcus!"

"And she dies too if you even _think_ about following me," I said again before walking backwards to the stairs. Keeping a watchful gaze on the officers, I opened the door to the stairs before moving through it. Once in the other side, Katerina pulled away before running towards the stairs. I followed behind her quickly while keeping an ear out for cops.

"They'll be calling all officers to the brain. Every major highway will be flooded with cop cars," Katerina said.

"So what do you suggest?" I asked.

"We can try to get out through the sewers-"

" _Ain't_ gonna happen," I interrupted.

She rolled her eyes. "Well then, we can take I-45 down to the ear," she suggested with a roll of her eyes.

"Wouldn't the mouth be a better exit? What about the nose?" I suggested.

"The ear is closer. The only things closer than the ear is the eye, but Richard is asleep right now. Having a shoot out in the eye will wake him up and make things more complicated," she said as we made it onto the 25th floor. "This way. This leads to a garage. We can get on the streets and out in the highway."

As soon as she pushed opened the door, I heard the sounds of guns cocking. Moving quickly, I pulled her towards me. She gasped loudly, not expecting the sudden grab. Once we were out in the open, I spotted five cops cars and at least ten cops surrounding us in a semicircle. " _Spit,"_ I cursed.

"Release the officer and put your hands up!"

Staring down at my claw, I grit my teeth. My most trusted weapon... Heating up my claw as hot as it would go, I sunk it into the nervous tissue I was standing on. The floors cracked and bled red before hissing and steaming violently. The cracks spread out towards the cops, causing them all to stare down in shock. Moving quickly, I lifted Katerina off her feet and took off as fast as I could for the nearest car.

"He's getting away!"

Reaching out for the handle to the car, I nearly cursed when my claw nearly burned the door off. Door or not, I needed to get out of here. Sticking my hand into the door, ready to yank it off, my eyes widened when I saw the car transform into a red hot rod. Now _that's_ styling. Grinning, I pulled the door open before tossing Katerina inside and slipping inside.

"Hey! Watch the merchandise!" she shouted at me.

"Sorry, baby. But I'm in a bit of a rush," I said as I used my claw as a key in the ignition. The car started with a roar before peeling off. We plowed into two cop cars before pulling onto the street. Watching the cars overturn in the rear view mirrors, I laughed loudly and smacked my hand against the steering wheel.

"You're a lunatic!" Katerina shouted at me before laughing as well. "Take this next street on the right. It'll take us onto the highway."

"What would I do without you, baby?" I asked rhetorically.

"Get arrested and flushed out of Richard the next time he takes a piss?" she answered with a knowing smirk. I rolled my eyes. " _Whew._ It's getting a little warm."

Glancing down at the dashboard, I smirked. "It's 102 degrees, baby. Just the way I like it," I said and stepped on the gas. We tore through the nearly empty highway, mowing the cop cars out of the way with ease.

"Take the next right. We're headed down to the ear. Be careful. The cleanup crew hasn't cleared the roads of wax yet," Katerina said and pointed at our exit. I took the right and skillfully handled all the twists and turns in the road. More than once, Katerina fell onto me with a grunt before sitting up only to be tossed into the passenger side door. "Feel free to drive at a normal pace at _any_ time!"

"Come on, baby. Where's your sense of _adventure_?" I asked with a deep laugh. Katerina shot me a glare before shaking her head.

" _Pull over! We have you surrounded!"_

I rolled my eyes with a disgusted groan. Sticking my arm out the window, I allowed my claw to drag along the street as we drove past. Glancing at the rear view mirror, I watched the highway crack behind us before falling apart. "So much for Richard's finest..." I said.

"We're almost there," Katerina said in relief. She grinned before flashing me with her brightest smile. I smirked in return.


	5. Chapter 4

Standing at the edge of Richard's ear, the breeze whipped at my coat and blew my locks back. Richard lived alone so I wouldn't be able to latch onto a new victim so easily. He did have a dog though. I didn't like the idea of making a _dog_ my home, but I didn't have the liberty to be choosy. Every morning, Richards's dog would run into the bedroom and lick the guy awake for his morning jog. All I had to do was hang around for the mutt. When I heard the telltale barking, I smirked. "Our ride's here." Slipping my shades over my eyes, I glanced over at Kat. "Time to go, baby," I said while holding out a hand to her.

"And how exactly are we gonna get down? I don't suppose you can change your hotrod into a helicopter," Kat asked with a brow raised.

"I've got a more _personal_ form of travel," I replied and shook my extended hand impatiently. She glanced over the side of the ear before shrugging and slipping off her heels. I pulled her to me with a smirk. "Hold on tight."

Grabbing the edges of my coat, I leapt from the ear. I felt Kat latch onto me even tighter, every inch of her membrane pressing into me. "Do you know where you're going?" Kat shouted above the sounds of rushing winds.

"Don't you trust me, baby? I know what I'm doing," I replied with a chuckle. I could hear her scoff once before going quiet.

Our landing wasn't as smooth as I would have liked. It wasn't like Kat was heavy. But even her small frame threw me off my game. We ended up crashing onto the mutt's head with loud grunts of pain before rolling over several times. "The _dog!? That's_ your plan?" I heard Kat shout in disbelief. I rolled my yellow eyes in annoyance.

"I don't know if you realize, but this mutt is the closest living thing around," I threw over my shoulder before starting the trek through the forest of fur. When Kat had caught up to me, I said, "You should be grateful, baby. Big Daddy Thrax set you free from your double life."

"Sure. Now I'm walking for miles through a dog's fur," she replied with a scoff.

My eyes narrowed as I looked at her from the side of my eyes. "I don't think I like your tone..." I said in warning.

Without hesitation, she fixed a hard glare on me. Without another word, she rolled her eyes, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and strutted away from me. My jaw dropped as I watched her in stunned silence. I almost wanted to show her how much of a _threat_ I could _really_ be. _No one_ disrespects me and gets away with it. Instead, I took a deep breath and smoothed back my locks. No sense in losing my cool. I won't have to deal with her for much longer.

~:~

Getting in the mutt was easy enough. Maintenance was terrible at clearing the wax out of the various passages in the ear. Surprisingly, Kat didn't complain once. For a high-maintenance she-cell, she was pretty resilient. I lagged behind her slightly, my yellow eyes boring holes into her membrane as she avoided piles of wax.

We were finally coming to the end of this mutt's ear canal when Kat suddenly stopped and held up a hand to block my way. I raised a brow at her, but she was focused on something in the distance. Looking ahead, I spotted two cleanup workers. They were slowly clearing away small bits of wax while exchanging dialogue. I chuckled lowly. "Have no fear, baby. Watch me work my magic," I told her and displayed my elongated claw for emphasis.

Casually slipping my shades as I strolled over to the cells, I couldn't help but hum lowly. My steps were silent, helping me maintain the element of surprise. When I was only a few feet away, one of the cells looked up in surprise. "Don't mind me, boys," I said while heating up my claw. Their eyes widened to comical sizes just before I gave their membranes small, matching nicks. I watched them bubble and melt, my ears tuned into the sound of Kat's heels clicking as she approached.

She let out a short sound of disgust. "What a mess," she said before walking over to the car that the two cells had probably driven up here. "You coming?"

When I slipped into the passenger seat, I stretched out my long body with a grin. My left arm wrapped around the driver's seat as I stared out the window. Kat drove at normal pace, the breeze whipping her hair back. "What are you grinning about?" she asked and raised a brow at me.

"Aw, baby. You have no _idea_ how amazing I feel," I hinted with a chuckle. It was like a high. Sliceing through a measly cell was _nothing_ compared to the feeling of taking down an entire city. Watching it all go up in flames from _my_ handiwork.

"Taking down Richard meant that much to you, huh? He your first kill?"

"He won't be my last," I promised with a wide grin.

~:~

Kat found us a cheap motel to spend the night. It didn't matter how scummy the place was, I wasn't planning on an extended stay. I stood back quietly as she spoke in a low tone to the owner of the motel. She was leaning over the top of the desk, her button-up revealing plenty for the owner to gawk at. I didn't care for the way he was looking at her, but I wasn't about to say anything to ruin our chances of a getting a free place for the night. "Thank you, hun. You really know how to treat a lady," Kat cooed and rubbed the owner on his balding head. The goofy look he had on his face with the definition of pathetic. She snatched the key from his hand before turning to leave. I rolled my eyes at the dopey expression on the owner's face before following after Kat.

Once we were inside the motel room, my eyes examined the various stains on the carpet and walls. I grimaced slightly before shrugging out of my coat. It wasn't anything _close_ to what I had grown accustomed to in Richard, but it would have to do for now.

"So what's the plan?"

" _Plan?"_ I repeated with a brow raised. I turned slowly to observe her.

She scoffed. "Did you plan to spend the rest of your life in a dog?"

"Of course not. I was just wondering what made you think you were part of the plan anymore," I responded and walked over to a dirty window. I stared out at the city with a calculating expression.

"Don't do that, Hun," I heard her say in that seductive voice that I was growing fond of. She placed a hand on my cheek and turned my face to look me in the eyes. "I don't plan on going anywhere, Thrax. I need you just like _you_ need _me."_

It's not like she _could_ go anywhere. An infected Immunity cell would be taken down in an instant. Now that she was outside her body, she was just as foreign as I was. "That's where you're wrong, baby. I don't need anyone. I work alone," I corrected and looked away. She was convenient _once._ She helped me make my first kill and I saved her membrane from whatever lowlives had it out for her. We were straight. But obviously, she thought differently. "I'm gonna make it to the big leagues. One by one, I'll take down _every_ body I come across. They'll be writing chapters on me in _every_ medical book!"

"Alright. I just figured that since it took you so long to take down Richard on your own, you'd at least consider the possibility that I could help you out for a bit longer. Immunity all work the same. You haven't seen how the force works from the inside like _I_ have."

I chuckled. "You want to hang around? Be my guest. But this is still _my_ show," I warned. She smiled coyly at me.


	6. Chapter 5

My time with Lyse was proving to be more helpful than I originally thought. I guess the old fool _did_ teach me something after all. Before I made move on to my next victim, I was going to take a page from the Rabies family's book.

I had the plan laid out in front of me, my yellow eyes scanning it thoroughly for any imperfections. In the background, I could hear the scratching noise from Kat's constant nail filing. My eyes glanced up to glare at her. She didn't pay me any mind, choosing to continue lounging on the bed and examining her nails. I rolled my eyes before looking down at the large paper again. "It's _perfect_ ," I finally said with a smirk.

"Really? Mind if I take a look?" Kat said and quickly leapt off the bed.

"No need, baby. Big Daddy Thrax has got everything-" I started, but she cut me off.

"Seems complicated," she said with a pout.

"Excuse me?" I asked with a brow raised. I watched her lean over the side of the table and point to individual parts of my master plan as she spoke.

"I mean, you want to take control of the mutt's central nervous system so you can use it to help you pass onto a new human. Sounds like what a Rabies virus might do."

" _Precisely._ "

"You aren't Rabies, Thrax," she said and gave me a look like a mama would give a naive child. "How about this instead? Just go after a human kid."

"A _kid?_ May I remind you that Richard was a young, healthy cat in top shape. I took him down easily. Now, you want me to set me sights on a _child?"_ I asked with a dangerous glare.

She gave me a patient smile and rested a hand onto my cheek. "Kids love dogs, Hun. They see this mutt coming, they won't hesitate to play with it. Not only that, but kids aren't the cleanest. The easiest target for a virus is one that _doesn't wash_ their _hands."_

I balked. I could only stare at her in surprise. It was so simple, it surprised me that I didn't think of it first. Chuckling lowly, I grinned at her. "Baby, you were _meant_ to be a virus," I praised.

She grinned coyly. "I got a few more ideas if you want to hear 'em."

"Tell Big Daddy Thrax _all_ about it..."

~:~

I was sipping on a hot cup of joe with my feet up on the small dining table in the motel room. Kat had gotten up before I had and left me to sleep in peace. I didn't know where she had gone, but I wasn't worried. I was confident that she would come back and if she didn't... I scoffed once. It didn't matter. I would go on without her.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open roughly and Kat came striding in. "We're back in action, Thrax," she said and plopped a newspaper down onto the table. I looked over at the front page and read the big, bold title.

TIME TO MOVE ON. MAYOR MAKES PLANS TO FIND NEW OWNER.

I snatched up the paper and let my eyes glance over the page. I chuckled lowly. "They're making this too easy."

"Mr. Mayor thinks it's best to find a kid to be the mutt's new owner. Everyone knows that kids love animals," Kat said with a sly smirk.

~:~

"I like this plan a lot better," Kat said with a grin.

"That's because you thought of it, baby," I reminded her as I slipped my shades over my eyes. It was raining today. The rain was doing a decent job of washing away some of the filth around us. Honestly, it was the cleanest that this part of the city has ever looked. Kat was standing- more like shivering- at my side in a form fitting dress and a pair of heels. We were shielded from the rain by a dirty awning as we watched the deserted street in front of the motel. When I heard the sound of a car engine, I straightened. "Look alive. We got ourselves a ride."

Eventually, an old clunker of a car came rolling down the street with its windshield wipers moving rapidly from side to side. I heard Kat scoff out a "finally" before she bopped out onto the street. I watched her flag the driver down before moving in closer when they slowed to a stop and lowered their passenger window. I watched her lean into the car to converse with the driver. I was close enough to hear that she was talking to what sounded like a little old lady.

"Get out of the car!" Kat suddenly shouted while brandishing a gun from her tiny purse. I raised a brow at her change in demeanor before slinking out from under the awning. I listened to Kat shout at the woman. The poor, old bat looked like she was about to have an accident in her diapers.

Once the woman was out of her car with her hands in the air, I tipped my head to her. "Much obliged, ma'am," I said before slipping into the driver's seat while Kat took the passenger's. Within seconds, we were speeding away from the stranded woman. "Do I want to know where you got that piece?"

"A girl's gotta have a way to defend herself," Kat said as she rung her hair out and turned on the heat. I chuckled darkly as I sped towards the mouth.

"How did a girl like you end up working for Immunity?" I had to ask.

"Nice of you to show interest in my backstory," she replied with a sweet grin. "I was born a white blood cell, hun. There's only one future for a cell like me. But I got bigger dreams. I'm ready to break the mold, Thrax."

I nodded with a soft hum. "You wanna make something of yourself, baby?"

"You know it. I'm meant for the high life and I'll do what I have to to get there," she said and flipped her damp hair over her shoulder. She leaned back in the seat with a small pout while rubbing her small hands together.

Taking one hand off the wheel, I gripped both her hands in my warm one. "I like a girl with big dreams," I said with a deep chuckle. What can I say? She was growing on me.


	7. Chapter 6

Moi-Moi: So I have something to say. I NEVER thought this story would get even HALF as much attention as it has gotten. Like...this was just something I started for fun after re-watching Osmosis Jones a few years ago! Now it has almost 300 reads and that number doesn't even include the views on ! I am really grateful that you guys are enjoying the story so far. It was only a side project, but now I really want to pursue it fully. :D

Also, as a fair bit of warning, if you couldn't tell...this story isn't exactly kid friendly. I mean there's no adult language cause I try to censor it like how it was censored in the movie. But there are and will be plenty more adult themes. Things like prostitution, possibly drug use (I haven't decided yet), sexual relations, violence... This is basically a crime drama that uses characters from a kids' movie. I don't want anyone to be offended or surprised if they read something they don't like. So, PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

That being said, here's the new chapter.

~:~

Humans are at their nastiest when they're still young. Being so young, they don't understand the importance of brushing their teeth, not putting dirty things in their mouths, and (most importantly) washing their hands...

I'd always figured that the girls were the clean ones. Little boys were supposed to play in the dirt and constantly scrape their knees. Surprisingly, it was a little girl that would catch this bug. It was a _real_ shame that she didn't wash the mutt's saliva off her hands before sitting down for her afternoon snack.

If I was going to get _anywhere_ in this child, I would need some coin. I could have tried trading the little pocket change I had left over from my time in the mutt. But currency from a canine body was worth less than that from a human. I'd have to find another way to make some coin fast.

"What ya thinkin', Thrax?" Kat asked as she glanced up at me. We strolled through the city of Lucy, almost blending in with the crowd. My opaque membrane earned me a few second glances, but nobody voiced their suspicions.

"We need to make us some dough before we can get anywhere," I answered and adjusted my shades.

"I hear ya. I'm tired of living off scraps. I'm made for more than meager living," Kat said and stuck her small nose in the air.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her while wrapping a loose arm around her shoulder. "I got an idea to make some quick money, but you may not like it, baby."

"Try me," she challenged.

~:~

Nights in Lucy were pretty tame compared to other bodies. The city shut down real early- 9 o' clock in fact. Every cell went home and the streets were practically empty. There was only a handful of strip joints in the city- all concentrated in less than appealing areas. Near the rectum and in between the toes reeked of waste and pollution. The streets didn't have that bright shine that came from a well-maintained body. Lowlives all gathered on street corners to speak in hushed tones and glare at anyone who paid too much attention. This really was where the scum of Lucy came to fester. Not surprisingly, there was quite the collection of scum in this dirty, little girl.

While walking up to the door of 'The Rear End' strip joint, I removed my glasses and smoothed my locks back. The overly muscled bouncer stopped me with an outstretched arm. "Cover fee is fifteen," he growled with a scowl.

I raised a brow at him. I stared up at his dark scowl in disinterest. This clown didn't realize what I am or must be too stupid to understand. "Tell you what, big guy. I'm in a good mood so I'll play along," I say and roughly shove fifteen dollars into his chest. I smirked in satisfaction at hearing him cough and sputter loudly from the force of my hand.

Stepping into the club, I glanced around the dimly lit room at the drooling patrons and half-naked she-cells. Taking a seat at the bar, I flagged down the bartender and ordered a drink. My yellow eyes scanned the club for anyone who could be of use to me and my plans. Over the rim of my glass, I saw a fat cat in a nicely tailored suit sitting near the main stage while being flanked by two, beefy brutes.

"Well _hello,"_ I muttered to myself. If that wasn't the look of a cell in charge, I don't know what is.

" _Next up, we have a new girl on the roster. Give it up for, Mystic!_ "

It was like our first meeting all over again. I watched Kat strut into the stage with the confidence of a cell beyond her years. The sight of every cell in the room eyeing her was disgusting and aggravating, but I forced myself to remain seated. She was working for me. _None_ of these clowns stood a chance. Eventually, Kat made eye contact with me, her onyx eyes posing the question, " _Which one?"_

I subtlety nodded my head toward the fat-cat I had been eyeing earlier before taking a sip from my drink. She did a few twirls on the pole, her seductive eyes glancing at the cell. When she made eye contact with me again, I could tell that she approved of my choice. The rest of her act consisted of her paying a lot of attention to our target of interest. A few winks here, a couple of blown kisses and the fool was about ready to hop onto the stage and carry her out of the joint. I nearly laughed out loud.

~:~

I rolled the DNA bead I had gotten from Richard between my claws as I waited across the street from The Rear End. I watched Kat stand across the street in a trench coat while looking bored out of her mind. She flipped her hair over her shoulder while rolling her eyes. Just then, a sleek, black town car rolled up in front of her. It was a pretty classy ride. Despite the tinted windows, I could see the outline of our target lounging in the back seat. I watched her lean in towards the car and smile coyly. I waited until I saw her get into the car and drive off down the street.

Slipping on my shades, I strolled away from the scene and headed back to the hotel. Kat should be back by morning. Unless she decided to skip out on me. Which was... I rolled my eyes to feign cool indifference, but it felt fake to me. Who was I foolin'? I was already in too deep. I didn't _love_ the girl... But I did like her. On some level, I cared about her but I couldn't put a label on what she was to me. She's more than a lackey, but definitely not a lover.

Whatever.

"I got bigger fish to fry," I reminded myself with a whip of my trench coat.

~:~

The next morning, I woke up to the familiar sound of nails scratching against a nail file. With a small smirk sliding onto my face, I rolled over onto my back and sat up in one move. I spotted Kat sitting at the cheap table with a brown paper bag in front of her. Without exchanging words, I approached her and examined the bag. It was roughly closed with a few splatters of cytoplasm staining the side. Kat shot me a superior smirk as I unrolled the top of the bag and peered inside. I chuckled lowly at the small pile of money and jewels inside.

"We're officially in business, Kat," I said and faced her.

"Did I do a good job, Big Daddy Thrax?" Kat asked as she stood and slid her small hands along my shoulders with a coy look on her face.

"You did an excellent job, baby," I praised.

"Then you won't mind letting me keep this little trinket? I like how it matches my new manicure," Kat asked while pulling a large pendant out from the cleavage of her tight, mini-dress. She was keeping the large, ruby-colored gem on the flimsy string. It didn't take a genius to tell that this gem was worth a pretty penny. We could pawn it off and it would be enough to gain some real pull in this town. I could even get myself some new threads... I held the gem loosely in my claws for a few seconds before grinning slyly.

"I'll let you keep your toy, baby. If you're good, I'll get you something nicer to hang it on," I promised. Kat's eyes widened and brightened before she pecked my cheek.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Sorry this took so long! It was supposed to have been out WEEKS ago, but I got a _little_ lazy.


	8. Chapter 7

With the bump in my financial resources, my plans were back in motion. During the day, I worked the scummiest part of Lucy, recruiting germs willing to get in on my big score. I had preferred to do it alone, but Kat had done her best to convince me that having a little bit of muscle on my side would make the job easier. Plus, it was smart to have a few stooges to use as fodder just in case anything went south. That was my Kat, always thinking ahead.

Kat was busy during the nights, making quick work of the fat cats in this city to bring in some more dough. I never asked her how she took care of the competition. But as long as she was thorough, I didn't give a spit. Out of all the low-lives working under me, she did her job the best. Every morning, I woke up to a new wad of cash waiting for me while Kat was decked out in a new outfit or piece of jewelry. I never called her out on her expensive tastes. As long as I had what I needed, I didn't care what she did. Besides, the girl had style.

I watched the goons I had hired enter with their own swaggers and malicious sneers. I had chosen an abandoned warehouse to be the temporary meeting place as I moved my plans forward. I sat back in my chair and bridged my claws in front of my face. Once all six germs were accounted for, I glanced at the watch on my wrist. The goons exchanged looks with each other before staring at me expectantly.

"Uh… Boss?" a deep purple germ started in his baritone voice while scratching the top of his head in confusion. "Is we gonna start now?"

"Not yet. We're waiting on one more," I said and adjusted my trench coat. The germs all exchanged looks. I saw a couple of them subtly looking around, trying to count everyone present. I rolled my eyes. 'Don't hurt yourselves trying to count too high.'

Suddenly, the door swung open loudly. The stooges all tensed, their hands reaching for the guns at their waists. I glanced to the side before smirking at who I saw in the doorway. Simultaneously, the others relaxed as their eyes bulged from their membranes. I heard a few wolf whistles and stood slowly. "Glad you could make it, baby, " I greeted as I watched Kat strut into the room.

She pushed her large, white shades onto her head and took a lollipop from her mouth long enough to grin and giggle. "Sorry I'm late, Hun. I saw this coat in a store window and couldn't say no," she said and twirled once to make the large, white fur coat that she was wearing flare out.

"You're here now so let's get started," I said and slipped the coat from her shoulders. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see every germs' eyes on her as she strut over in a fitted, black dress to where I had been sitting at the head of the table. As she was sitting down, I rested her coat on the back of the chair. "Alright, listen up!" I declared and eyed each of the drones that sat around the table. "It's time we start makin' moves, people. I've got big plans for little Lucy and I want to get started."

"Plans for what, Boss?" a germ asked with hesitation in his voice.

I smirked. "Feast your eyes on this," I crooned and pulled out my master plan from a pocket within my coat. I laid it out on the table for everyone to see and stood back with a deep chuckle.

"You wanna kill Lucy? Ain't dat a bit extreme?" another germ said. To be honest, he reminded me a lot of Bruno. This germ had that same build and dumb look on his face. I rolled my eyes exaggeratedly.

"And what were you gonna do? Incubate in the girl for her entire life and not accomplish anything until Immunity finally caught up to you and put a bullet in your head?" Kat scoffed and mimed shooting herself in the temple with her hand.

"Nobody's incubating," I sneered and glared at my stooges. "I've wasted enough time as it is in this city, I'm gonna make my move. I'm gonna take this little girl down in a week flat. Just watch me. And you're either in or out. It's your call, gentleman."

They all exchanged some final looks.

"What do you want us to do, Boss?"

I grinned.

~:~

That night, I was sitting in a car with Kat, both our eyes peeled for anything noteworthy about the Immunity forces in Lucy. We were parked in an darkened alleyway across from one of the lymph node stations in the neck. The closer they were to the head, the more likely that these clowns would be the first responders once Lucy was going down in flames.

"Artie can't be trusted," Kat said to me, breaking the silence.

"Which one is Artie?"

She sighed loudly with a roll of her eyes. "The big, gorilla looking one. I saw his eyes. I've seen those eyes before on the germs that squealed to Immunity. Those are the eyes of a germ in doubt. He'd sell you out to save his own membrane in a heartbeat."

"Well then, I'll just have to keep a close eye on him."

"What are you going to do when he shows his true colors?"

"He shows me his, then I'll show him mine," I promised and held up my claw with a wide smirk. She chuckled once before leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. "What was that for, baby?"

"Just because," she replied and combed her fingers through my dreads.

I saw it for what it was. The look in her eye wasn't hard to make out. Maybe she didn't see it, but I sure as spit did. Katerina was falling for Big Daddy Thrax. I hadn't planned on this. She was just a partner (in the loosest definition of the word). This was still my show- a solo act. Then again… A she-cell in love could be convenient. If I played my cards right, I could have her eating out of my claws. I grinned widely at her.

She was about to say something else to me, but she paused. "Look alive, Hun."

I turned back to the station to watch several white blood cells rush out of the station while shouting orders at each other. I raised a brow at how they seemed to bumble around.

Some of them got into the wrong cars or forgot something inside the station. This is what I had to worry about? "So much for Lucy's finest," I scoffed.

"She's still young. Immunity in a child haven't exactly got their spit together. We could probably take care of her in less than a week," Kat said.

"Let's see if you're right."

~:~

The next night, I decided to go downtown with Kat. I'd decided to give her the night off and take her someplace nice tonight. She'd done her job. Why not give her a little break? I had more dough than I knew what to do with. Not even Kat could spend this much cash on her own.

"I'm happy we're out tonight, Hun. You make everything so much more fun," she gushed while slipping her arms around mine. I kept my hands in my trench coat pockets and started to hum lowly. It took her a few beats, but she eventually caught on to the tune. "You give me fever..." she sung lowly.

We walked down the streets of one of the nicer areas in Lucy- the kind of place where snobs and fat cats tend to gather. I noticed some cells walking tiny dogs or taking a late night stroll in fancy threads. When I glanced down at Kat, I saw her staring at a young couple that was sitting on a bench across the street. The she-cell was staring down at the cat on bended knee as he showed her a large bouquet and one hell of a rock. My brow raised. "What you lookin' at, baby?" I asked, testing her.

"That girl looks so lit up over the ring. It's pretty pathetic," Kat said with a scoff. Both of my brows shot up in surprise. "If a guy ever proposes to me, he better have a rock bigger than anything I can buy for myself," she said and stuck out her hand to display the large ruby she had resting on her middle finger. The ruby was wider than her finger and way too big to fit in her tiny purse. I chuckled lowly with a smirk.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Lucy was getting sick. Unfortunately, the mad scramble in Immunity forces and the crazed response from the city wasn't due to my handiwork. Lucy's mother had taken the girl to get a flu shot yesterday and now the city was littered with the Influenza virus. Everywhere you turned, there was at least one Immunity car zooming around with their sirens blaring. I scoffed and stared down at the street in front of the warehouse.

"Soon, Immunity's gonna wise up and realize that those Influenza aren't here to cause trouble," I heard Kat say from where she sat at the table behind me. "Every one of those viruses are nothing more than soon to be moles and rats for Immunity to use to get to the _real_ heavy hitters in this city."

"We need to kick the plan into action. It has to be tonight," I replied and turned away from the windows. "Spread the word. We make our move tonight."

Kat raised a brow at me. "And how exactly are we escaping this time? The plan was to wait until Lucy was in school and we could escape on another human."

"Just leave everything to me, baby," I crooned and ran my claws along her cheek.

Kat rolled her eyes at me and said, "I'm not ditching this joint on some other godforsaken animal. Besides, don't you think I should know _every_ part of the plan, Hun?"

She placed her hand on my while rubbing her cheek into my palm. I raised a brow at her in question, but she only kissed my palm in return. "We can abandon ship through Lucy's old mom or pop. Doesn't matter which one. Then once we're in one of them, we can stick to more adult circles of hosts. If I make my move in _exclusively_ in adults, it won't be long before I make it big," I explained.

"I'm fine with whatever as long as it means we avoid any more _mutts."_

 _"_ There's just _one_ thing I need you to do for me, baby," I said with a smooth grin.

Kat smiled in return. " _Anything_ for you, Big Daddy."

~:~

"Alright listen up!" I shouted at my small group of goons. "Immunity's got their hands full dealing with all the influenza in the streets. This makes our job easier. Now's the perfect time to strike."

"Uh, Boss? Ain't we missin' somebody?"

I raised a brow at the germ who was scratching the back of his neck and avoiding my gaze. Everyone waited to hear what I was gonna say to this _obvious_ reference to Kat's absence. I rolled my eyes. "You tellin' me that you need little Kat to hold your hand in a fight?" I asked.

"N-no. I was jus' wonderin' is all."

"How about you cut back on the wondering and focus more on the plan?" I warned. Scanning the group of germs, I let my gaze focus on one in particular. "Artie! Take this. I want you with me in the hypothalamus," I said and tossed Artie a gun.

His eyes widened before he fumbled to catch the weapon. "Y-you want _me_ with you, boss?"

"That's what I _just_ _said._ Let's move. You all know your jobs. Get to work!" I barked out and watched most of my men stalk out of the room with mean looks on their mugs. Artie blinked down at the gun before looking up at me with wide, fearful eyes. I smirked and clapped a hand down onto his shoulder. "Don't punk out on me now, man. We got a job to do," I said and shoved him towards the door.

~:~

No matter how calm I looked as I drove, Artie kept on with his anxious behavior. I turned the radio on with a smirk. " _Relax,_ man. You look like you've never done this before," I soothed.

"I haven't. I'm not big on... _killing._ "

"Don't even sweat it. You know the plan. You stick with me, we sneak into cerebellum hall and up to the hypothalamus, I do what I do best, we meet up with the rest of the gang and escape in Lucy's next cough," I lied.

"Are you _sure_ we can escape?"

"We got Kat on our side. She used to work in the best Immunity force I've ever seen. Not only that, but she has a special set of skills that's going to make sure this all goes off _perfectly_. So _relax,"_ I said just as the song on the radio was interrupted.

" _This is an urgent news bulletin! Hello citizens of Lucy. The Lucy Immunity Force has released an alert to the entire body, especially citizens living in or near the lungs. A group of armed thugs are holding several citizens hostage. Immunity forces have advised all citizens to steer clear of the area."_

I chuckled lowly. "It's _showtime._ "

I drove us up the neck, passing a couple Immunity cars on the way. They all were headed in the opposite direction, ready to face off against the germs I'd sent to the lungs as a diversion. I was sure that there was still a few guards left in the cerebellum, but I wasn't worried. That's what I had Artie for.

Unlike in Richard, the brain stem didn't have strict security guarding it. There was only one guard posted at the gate into the bairn stem. Adjusting my shades on my face, I drove up to the gate. "Hey there chief, _lovely_ weather we're having," I said with a grin.

"I need to see your ID, sir. I can't let anyone in without ID," the young guard said.

I chuckled lowly. "Sure thing, my man. Let me just grab that for you," I said as I reached into my coat. Faster than he could react to, I shot my hand and hot claw out of the window and through his chest. The guard's eyes widened in shock as he gasped loudly and his cytoplasm bubbled and boiled. I could hear Artie's quick breaths from the passenger seat, but I ignored them and drove up to road to the brain stem. "Alright. Kat is gonna be waiting for us with a getaway car. The place is mostly deserted. I want you to get us a bit of _insurance_ so that we can get out of here as easily as possible," I said.

" _Insurance_ , boss?"

~:~

I hummed to myself as I strolled through the deserted halls of Lucy's brain. It was night and most of the cells had already packed it up for the night. Lucy's brain only had the necessary amount of cells working through the night to keep her alive and functioning. "For now," I said lowly and chuckled.

This was only my second human, but it was almost as if my feet knew exactly where to go. I was standing in front of the door to the hypothalamus in no time. I couldn't keep the wide grin off my face. Quickly stabbing the lock with my claw, I pushed the door open and stalked in. I could hear someone walking around and humming inside and slowly approached. I could see a she-cell in a lab coat writing on a notepad as she bobbed her head. Her short hair swayed as she moved her unimpressive figure to the beat of the music.

"I know you're there," she said in a light tone. My eyes widened in surprise. Schooling my expression, I stepped out of the shadows slowly, my claw at the ready. "Honestly, Thrax. You sure know how to keep a girl waiting."

"Kat?" I asked with confusion in my tone. The she-cell turned around and smiled brightly at me. She was wearing a large pair of round, thick glasses and the most unappealing outfit I had ever seen on her. "Is that really you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course it's me," she said and pulled off the glasses. I watched her pull off the lab coat and pull on her hair until it returned to it's normal length. She squeezed at her membrane to return it to her normal, curvy figure. "Nice trick, huh? It made all my undercover work a lot easier."

That's when I noticed the unmoving body of the scientist laying behind the desk. I chuckled and shook my head. "You were just supposed to get a getaway car and enough dough for us to live on once we blow this joint," I said and eyed the DNA structure twirling in the middle of the room.

Kat groaned loudly and sighed. "I _know._ But I got bored just waiting for you. I could have already damaged the DNA on my own, but I figured that it was something you wanted to do _personally."_

 _"_ You're _damn_ right, baby," I said with a wide grin and plunged my claw into the case surrounding the DNA. Immediately, the room was cast in a red glow as the case gave way and exposed the twirling DNA sequence.

"Where's Artie?"

"I told him to collect some insurance so that we can have a few hostages when we make our getaway."

"A hostage wasn't part of the plan," Kat pointed out.

Once I had the DNA bead within my claws, I admired it for a few seconds before turning around. With a smirk, I held up the bead for Kat to see. She giggled lightly while twirling a chain on her finger. I raised a brow. "What's that? You went shopping again?"

"Not this time. I found it when I was stealing my disguise. I think I stole it off of one of those repair cells. I thought it would look nice on you. You never spoil yourself, Hun," she said while approaching me with the chain.

I was going to brush her off (now really wasn't the time to accessorize), but grabbed the chain from her instead. "I'll try it on later, baby," I said shoving the black chain and DNA bead into my pocket. "Now, we need to make our exit."

Suddenly, the sound of the alarm started blaring throughout the room. I chuckled deeply. "It looks like Artie made his move."

"I was wrong. I guess he was trustworthy," Kat said with a pout.

I grinned. "Doesn't matter. He won't be around to tell you that you were wrong. The gun I gave him isn't loaded," I said with a careless shrug. Kat blinked twice in surprise before laughing and leaning on her toes to kiss me on the cheek.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Six weeks to take down Richard. And now three weeks _flat_ in little Lucy. I was getting good, but not good enough. Entire medical books aren't written about viruses that kill you weeks after infection. Unless you're HIV and you want turn the entire Immunity force against their body and take over. But I'm a solo act. I don't need a million and one white blood cells to do my dirty work for me.

"Thrax?"

I only have one.

Tilting my head to the side, I let Kat know that I was listening. She was fiddling with the radio in the car, a few words breaking through the static. Eventually, she got a good enough signal and turned up the volume.

" _Welcome back to Lucy At Night. I'm you're host A. T. Phineas and we have Hank Nucleus and Sarah Sartorius in the studio with us to give their professional opinions on the dramatic rise in crime in Lucy."_

" _This is all the mother's fault! If she hadn't made Lucy get that flu shot, the streets wouldn't be filled with Influenza virus and the body temperature wouldn't be on the rise like this!"_ a male voice shouted angrily. I glanced at the dashboard. 101 degrees. Glancing out the window, I could see smoke starting to rise from some of the skyscrapers in the distance. I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

" _How can you blame her!? It's all Immunity's fault! The department isn't prepared to handle this kind of infection!"_ a female voice responded.

" _I've also heard that Cerebellum Hall was attacked in addition to the hostage situation in the lungs and... Oh! I'm getting word from my producers that news just broke that Lucy's mother is taking her to the hospital."_

" _Let's hope for all our sakes that she isn't too late,"_ the female voice said in a somber tone. I chuckled lowly as Kat turned off the radio.

"This is perfect. Head for the mouth. We'll wait there and once we get to the hospital we can make our escape in a cough," Kat said and pointed out the exit that was headed towards the mouth.

"You seem to be forgetting that hospitals have _antiseptic,_ " I drawled.

She chuckled before patting my arm. "Hospitals are full of _people_ , Hun. You promised me that there wouldn't be any more animals as a part of the getaway plans," Kat pointed out.

"Yeah yeah," I drawled. When I saw her cross her arms and pout at me, I chuckled. " _Relax,_ baby. Don't you trust me?"

"About as much as you trust me," she answered. I looked away from her with a frown on my face.

~:~

Once Lucy was in the hospital, she was pushing 104 degrees and sweating worse than a sinner in church. Kat and I didn't have to wait long before she was taken inside on a gurney with doctors and nurses crowding around her. We sat on the hood of the car, Kat examined her manicure while I fingered the chain in my pocket. After a few seconds, I look it out to examine it.

A repair cell, huh? Did she take it from his body before or after putting the cat to rest, I wonder? After turning the chain over in my hand, I noticed a blue glimmer on it as it pulsed. Squeezing at the chain, I watched as a familiar DNA bead bulged out towards me. My yellow eyes widened as my hand shot down to my pocket.

I hummed quietly as I moved the chain. Two DNA beads moved within the chain. _Obviously_ , Kat had mistaken the chain the purpose of the chain. I glanced at her from the corner of my eyes. She was still looking at her chipped nails with a frown. I'm not surprised. She must have just thought that it looked nice. With these beads- proof of my first two, _real_ kills- it was downright _beautiful._

Suddenly, the sounds of Lucy's wheezing reached my ears. I stood up while wrapping the chain around my hand. Kat pulled on the straps on the backpack with all our things while making her way over to me. Once again, she fully pressed her form to mine. "Aim for a nurse. They see more patients than the doctors," Kat told me.

After a few seconds, we were riding the winds away from Lucy.

~:~

The forty-five year old nurse, Mary Beth, was going to be my next victim. I can't explain it. But I just _know_ that she's the one. Call it superstition. But I think it was a sign that someone up there wanted me to have her. She just happened to be leaning over little Lucy to check Lucy's breathing when Lucy coughed me right into her eye. Mary Beth was a perfectly wrapped gift that I was going to unwrap in a week's time. Mark my words.

When I told all this to Kat, she was less excited than I was.

"A _week?_ It took you six to take out Richard and three to finish off Lucy! You want to do this in a week? And why this woman especially?" Kat asked with so much derision that I could feel it hitting me in the back of my head as she shouted at me.

"I'll _excuse_ your ignorance because I can tell that you're incapable of seeing the big picture," I replied with a roll of my eyes.

"I don't think-" she started but I whirled around quickly and shot her a threatening look.

"You don't think I can do it?" I asked in a frosty and dangerous tone. Her eyes widened slightly as I started to approach her slowly. "Let me tell you something, baby. This is what _I do._ I'm getting good and I'll just get better.I'm better than _any_ other virus that came before me! It's only a matter of time before _everyone_ knows it," I said. I was looming over her now, my claw poised over her chest. I didn't heat up the appendage. I just wanted her to get the message. I could kill her at any time.

Her eyes glanced down at my long claw before slowly moving up to lock gazes with me. She raised her chin before folding her arms over her chest. "If you're such hot spit, _prove it,"_ she said before brushing past me and strutting away from me. "I'll be counting down the days, Thrax."

I sneered at her back, my hands clenching tightly. She was the most infuriating she-cell that I had ever met. One second, she was hanging off my every word and willing to bend over backward for me. The next, she was daring me to wring her little neck. I don't know why I didn't do it. I glanced down at the chain in my hand. It'd be simple. She gave me the chain. I could just give it back. The mental image of the chain tightening around her slender neck flashed in my head. I frowned.

"Are you coming, Thrax? Medical books aren't written about _losers_ ," I heard her voice call out to me.

Glancing up at her, I watched her stand with her hand on her waist and an impatient look on her face. Slipping the chain into my pocket, I scoffed once. "Coming, baby."

~:~

A week would be more than enough time. I was sure of it now. Mary Beth's Immunity forces were adequate at best. For a woman who worked in a hospital, she didn't a very good job of keeping her immune system in top shape. I could almost laugh at how easy some of these humans made it.

As I stared down at the map of the body that I had laid out on the table of the motel room Kat and I rented, I couldn't help but grin. "I think six men should be enough again. All we need is a little distraction to get Immunity's attention and then I can make my move," I said with a chuckle.

"So, it's _we_ now?" Kat asked as she kept flipping through her magazine.

"Excuse me?" I asked with a raised brow and a dull look in my eyes.

"I thought you said that this is what _you_ do. _You're_ the one man show. Remember?" Kat said as she stared at me coldly from over the top of her magazine.

In the back of my mind, I was wondering why she was so quiet. She hadn't said a word to me since our discussion in the eye. I just figured that she was finally going to give me the respect I deserved. Should have known better.

With an easy chuckle, I slinked towards her. She turned up her nose and turned on the couch to face away from me. "Don't be like that, baby. You know what I'm about. I told you in the beginning. Didn't I?" I said and rested my hands on her shoulders.

"I remember. I just assumed that you realized that you're so called "one man show" has had me backstage to help things run smoothly."

The sly grin that I'd had on my face fell at once. There she goes again. Frustrating the _spit_ out of me.

"You can try for your seven day deadline. But you'll be doing it solo," Kat said and got up quickly to brush my hands from her shoulders. I watched her grab her purse and the room key with a huff before heading towards the door. When she slammed it loudly behind her, I groaned lowly and rolled my eyes.

"I don't got time for this," I muttered to myself and pulled my shades out of my coat. I need to make moves. I said seven days and I meant seven.

~:~

After about three days of doing things on my own, I was barely any farther along in my plans than when I started. It was frustrating! Not to mention downright embarrassing. I was better than this. But every time I got close, I was always set back by someone else meddling in my plans. Not Immunity. They aren't good enough for that. It's the other goddamn bacteria in this city! It's like everyone was drawn to this woman like I was and they're all trying to go in for the kill. They better pick somewhere else to incubate. I had big plans and they didn't involve any other infections.

I just needed to take out the competition. That's all. But how?

"People who spend a lot of time in hospitals can contract bacterial infections pretty easily. That's why I wanted to choose one of the patients who hadn't been in the hospital long instead of a nurse who _works_ in a hospital," Kat said aloud while flipping through her newspaper.

I nearly rolled my eyes in exasperation. Kat had been doing this for three days now. She'd been ignoring me and my plans while still talking around me. I was honestly surprised that I hadn't yanked her tongue out yet.

"Did you know that Mary Beth is getting on a flight tomorrow? She's headed to Detroit for her sister's wedding. Going through an airport is going to expose her to a _lot_ of germs."

"Well, what do you suppose I do?" I asked through grit teeth. I stared down at the map before leaning over it and resting my hands on the table.

"You want _my_ help, Thrax?" I could hear the immense pleasure in her bright voice. My shoulders tensed as my claw heat up and pierced the table. The furniture cracked and popped, but my temper was already blazing hotter than the boiling furniture. I felt Kat's small hands press into my back before rubbing circles into it. Before I knew it, I was taking deep breaths as my muscles relaxed. How was she doing that?

"It'll be your name in the medical books. You'll be more famous than the bubonic plague, Hun. Just don't forget that we're a team," Kat said as she moved to stand in front of me. "I don't want your glory, Thrax. I just want to help you."

I wanted to ask why. It wasn't hard to figure out someone's motivations. I was good at reading germs. Everyone had a price and everyone could be bought. Kat liked shiny, expensive things. But she didn't need me to get them. She and I could part ways and she would be fine. But she wanted to stay. I guess love really does make a cell do crazy things. I smirked. "You have any ideas, baby?"

She grinned slyly. "I got a few."

"Well, tell Big Daddy Thrax _all_ about it."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The germs I had recruited for my job were…disappointing to say the least. They lacked brains and brawn, but at least they were all desperate. I'd had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find these germs- those ready and willing to do anything to make a quick buck. I had the obvious adrenaline junkies and pan handlers sitting around the table, twitching at every imagined noise or infecting the room with their odors. With a deep breath, I pushed my dreads back before facing them.

"Alright. Listen up. You're not what I had in mind when it came to getting the job done, but we _will_ get it done. _Capiche?_ " I started.

"What _is_ the job exactly?" one panhandler asked in a gravelly voice.

"Y-yeah. A-and how much does it pay?" a germ stuttered while twitching violently.

I rolled my eyes. All these single-celled germs were so… _small-minded._ They only cared about the next gig and getting paid. Does no body care about the _kill_ anymore? Would all the _real_ infections please stand up?

"The job is Mary Beth and her… _unfortunate_ demise," I replied with a grin. As I paced the room, I made sure to make eye contact with every germ sitting at the round table. "Lucky for you cats, you get to work with a real professional. I'm going all the way to the top at the same time that Mary Beth will be dragged down to rock bottom. Then, I'm taking this show on the road."

"So, wait… There ain't any pay?"

Is it possible for a virus to commit apoptosis? I was sure as spit about to try. Before I could make a violent mess all over the room, the door swung open and a light voice started humming. I grinned widely. _Fever._ "That you, baby?" I called out.

I heard Kat hum as she entered the room and shut the door behind her. Once again, she commanded the attention of every germ in the room, effectively stealing it away from me. She strutted towards me, ignoring the leering looks aimed at her. When she stood in front of me, she lifted a large, brown paper bag into my line of sight and a newspaper.

"Thank you, baby," I said as I took them from her and took my seat at the head of the table. Not bothering to remove her large coat, Kat took a seat on the edge of the table next to me. "New dress?" I asked idly as I sorted through the contents of the bag. I couldn't care less about what Kat did with her share of the goods. But asking made her feel good and a Kat in a good mood was easier to work with.

"Oh! You noticed, Thrax? It's nothing special. But you have to admit, I know how to make it look _good,"_ she said and shrugged her shoulders out of her black coat to expose the top of her backless, gold dress.

"You sure do, baby," I responded while pulling a watch from the bag to examine it. It was a nice piece. Would look _real_ nice on my wrist. When I turned it over and spotted familiar, cytoplasm stains, I smirked. Would I find anymore of the owner in this bag?

"I think you look amazin'," one of the germs said in the loudest whisper I'd ever heard.

Instantly, my yellow eyes flashed as I zeroed in on where the sound had come from. My membrane crawled as my cytoplasm boiled within me. Quick as a whip, I chucked the watch in my hand at the head of the germ still leering at Kat. I hadn't noticed that I'd managed to heat up the watch and leave it glowing an angry red. The cretin cried out in pain with the watch hit his membrane before falling backward and sprawling out on the floor. I could hear his groans with a few sniffs and sobs mixed in.

Slowly straightening out with a deep breath, I started to move toward the fool. "I'm not unreasonable. You can't get sometin' for nothin'," I said and pulled a thick roll of bills and held it up in my hand. "You want pay. It's a reasonable request. So, Big Daddy Thrax is gonna provide."

When he looked up at me looming over him, the germ on the floor whimpered a bit before scrambling off the floor. He watched me with wide, fearful eyes and I responded with a wide grin. I picked the watch up from the floor and examined it. "Still tickin'. Your head's not as thick as it looks," I said and pushed the watch into his chest and knocked the wind out of him.

"No, B-boss," the germ wheezed and hung his head.

I smirked. "And my girl Kat here was nice enough to bring home more than enough to cover your fees and then some," I said and gestured to Kat. She turned slightly to look over her shoulder at the germs present and gave them all a wink. One by one, I pulled out rolls of bills and tossed them around the room. Every germ had weary eyes on me, waiting for the other shoe to drop. They obviously don't know me. I'm an understanding virus.

Reclaiming my seat, I held up the newspaper for everyone to see the headline.

 **NEW ANTIBIOTICS MEDICATIONS WAGE WAR ON COLON BACTERIA**

"As you can see, Mary Beth decided to visit the doc before her trip to Detroit, Motown. This is perfect for us. These antibiotic stooges will wipe out every bacteria in this body and leave behind a playground for us viruses," I said and leaned back in my chair. "With the niche open, we're gonna take advantage. I've wasted enough time as it is. I've got three days to take this city down so listen up for your jobs. Go in groups of three and cause as much trouble as you can along the respiratory tract. Got it?"

"Yeah, Boss."

Once again, I got up from my seat to pace around the table. "This has to look coordinated. Runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, coughing-"

"That sounds like a cold though, Boss."

I let my eyes slide over to the germ who had actually raised his hand. He froze up on the spot and lowered his arm. "Exactly. While Immunity is busy getting ready to fight off a cold, I can make my move. And with all the noise we make, it'll be easy to escape in a cough. Any questions?" I asked and stopped.

Eleven sets of eyes looked at each other before staring at the unfortunate germ in front of me. I let my hands rest on his shoulders and could feel him tense as he gripped the watch tightly in his hands. "You got all that, Artie?" I asked.

"Y-yeah, Boss. But my name's not Artie," he replied.

"You sure? You looked like an Artie to me."

"It's Zoster."

"Zoster?" I asked in my most soothing tone. "You from the Varicella family?"

I could feel him slowly starting to relax under my light grip. He looked back at me with a hesitant expression on his face. I could see the spot on his membrane that was slowly oozing cytoplasm from my attack earlier. I nearly chuckled. Oops. Guess I was too harsh on the cat.

"Y-yeah. On my mom's side."

"Oh, word? That's _real_ nice," I said and squeezed at his shoulders. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. From across the room, I made eye contact with Kat. She raised a brow at me before moving over to sit in my chair and make herself comfortable. She crossed a leg over the other and folded her hands in her lap and a smirk on her face. With a vicious sneer, I heat up my claw and swiped it across Artie's throat in one swift motion.

"Holy Mary!" a panhandler shouted.

"Spit!" another shouted.

They all had sprung up from their chairs and were watching me with fearful expressions. I ignored their looks before walking back over to my seat. Kat hadn't moved an inch.

"If anyone wants Artie's share, you're more than welcome to take it. I don't think he'll be needing to tell the time anymore."

~:~

With my stooges out and about causing havoc in Mary Beth, my plans were running smoothly and right on time. I could kiss Mary Beth for her help cleaning up the streets of this city. The dam in the nose had ruptured and Mary Beth had a runny nose for hours. A shootout in her lungs had left six of my men dead but had caused enough coughing to aggravate her throat. I could probably hit the hypothalamus sooner than planned. As a matter of fact…

"Why are you up, Thrax? Mary Beth isn't even up yet," Kat pointed out as she rolled over on the bed to face me. She rested a small hand on my chest while wriggling closer to me.

"Just plotting, baby. Go back to sleep," I said and took her hand to kiss her wrist.

"Plotting, huh?" she asked before sitting up and moving over to straddle my hips. I raised a brow as I stared up at her and put my hands behind my head. I stared up at Kat who was presenting quite the picture of sex appeal. Her tousled hair hanging over one shoulder and her full, red lips, were already more than enough to drive a cell wild. It didn't hurt that she was only in her undergarments. "You better be careful. Your goons look ready to run out on you and save their own membranes."

"More Arties, huh? Not surprising. Some people just can't hang," I said with a chuckle and closed my eyes.

"Not like me, Thrax?"

I felt her shift and opened my eyes again. She was leaning over me now with a new light in her eyes. I noticed one of the straps of her bra had fallen off her shoulder. I almost believed that she was doing this on purpose. No one could be _this_ good. "No, baby. Not like you. Why don't you tell ole' Thrax what's got you in a mood."

She huffed softly before sitting back on my hips again. "You gave away all my hard-earned cash to those lowlifes. I was gonna get my nails and hair done today."

My eyes moved over her hair. It looked fine to me. I raised a hand to run my fingers through it, feeling the strands slide through like silk. More than fine… I lifted her hand to examine her nails. Her hand was tiny in mine. Soft, too. But I knew just how rough these hands could get…

"Why don't you shelve those plans, baby? Spend the day with me instead?" I asked and pulled her towards me.

I caught her by surprise. She fell onto my bare chest with a soft 'oof' before looking me in the eye. "What's up with you? This is new."

"What are you talking about, baby? You don't like being around Big Daddy Thrax no more?"

"Not _that_ , Thrax. I meant _this,"_ she said and ground her hips down onto mine. I hissed softly. She raised a brow at me. "I didn't think you cared about stuff like this," she said with a smirk.

I'd done a decent job of ignoring Kat's unintentional seduction for this long. It'd been easy. There was always the next human, the next body to take down. Saving my own skin and procuring my fame were my only concerns. But things were getting easier now. There was time for other, more _distracting_ thoughts. I grimaced.

This could go one of two ways. I could push Kat off me, get dressed and ignore that this had even happened. It wouldn't be hard. I'm the deadliest virus known to man. I have one goal and one goal _only_. I could walk away from this now with no consequence. Kat would understand. She probably wouldn't care or take offense to my rejection.

Or…

"Do you know what happens when I'm with other cells, Thrax?" she asked me as he leaned over me again to bury her face in my neck. I stared at the ceiling motionless.

"You're going to tell me about how you treat other cats in bed while trying to seduce me?" I asked her skeptically. She ignored me.

"They don't make it through the night," she whispered in my ear. "I can't get too close to another cell without infecting them the way you did me. But I'm not good at controlling it like you, Thrax. I always end up making a _mess."_

I couldn't help it. I shivered underneath her. "Some white blood cell you turned out to be," I muttered into her hair. I could feel her lips on my neck as one of her hands buried itself in my dreads.

"You and I both know that I'm not innocent."

"You sayin' that's my fault, baby?" I asked as my hands found their way to her hips. I hadn't decided if I was gonna push her off or not.

"Hardly. I was like this before I met you. I just like that I don't have to hide it from you," she said and leaned back to look me in the eye. Her hand cupped my cheek and her thumb rubbed along my lower lip. The way she stared at me, I could see lust, trust, and even admiration. I refused to believe it was love.

This was important. What I did next was going to change things in the future. Nothing was going to stop me from taking down Mary Beth, the next human, and the next one after that. But at times like these when my plans and schemes didn't need my full attention… My lips parted slightly and she slipped her finger in my mouth. The smug look in her eyes told me that she thought that she had me. My eyes narrowed as I bit down on the appendage. She cursed loudly and pulled her hand away from my face with a glare. I gripped her hips before throwing her off and onto the empty space on the mattress. "Thrax-" she started, but I covered her mouth with my hand as I loomed over her.

" _Shhhh_ , baby. Just let Big Daddy Thrax take care of you," I grinned.


	12. Chapter 11

Moi-Moi: Hey all! I forgot to say in the last chapter, but if you guys were interested in reading a lemon to go along with this chapter, I wouldn't mind including one. It all depends on how you feel really. It won't change the outcome of the story. Just let me know! :D

~:~

Some wise cat once said that anything that _can_ go wrong, _will_ go wrong. Makes me want to knock the spit out of him…

On day seven of my time in Mary Beth, only three of the germs that I'd hired to carry out my plans actually showed. I tried to keep my cool at the sight of the two, jumpy junkies and a malnourished pan-handler in front of me, but it was a bit _difficult_. This was _not_ good enough.

"And just _where_ is everyone _else?"_ I asked and paced the room.

"I…uh," the pan-handler started, but a racking cough interrupted him. I rolled my eyes with a deep sigh. "I think you scared 'em off boss," he finished in a hoarse voice.

"Looks like that temper of yours just screwed us over, Thrax," Kat helpfully erased from across the room.

I shot her a threatening look, but she smirked at me in return. " _Fine._ We'll have to _improvise_ then. Listen up, you three will each take a different part of the body. Head down to the rectum and both of the armpits and find as many germs and bacteria as you can that look like they could be convinced of the cause. Once you have enough men, meet up in the lungs and cause as much noise as you can along the respiratory tract. But stay _below_ the trachea. I need the roads clear when I'm leaving the hypothalamus."

"W-when do we meet up w-with you, boss?"

"Once Immunity gets word of what's going down in the cerebellum, they'll be headed my way. That's when you can scram and head to the nose. We'll make our escape in Mary Beth's next sneeze. Once we're home free, you boys will be paid for your time," I promised with a wide grin. "Now, get to work!"

"Sure thing, boss."

I watched the three stooges leave the room before walking over to the cheap radio I had purchased and turned it on. I fiddled with the dials, trying to find a news station. This was my best means of keeping track of how my plans were progressing.

"How is it that no matter whose body it is, the germs are always the dumbest of the dumb?" Kat asked with a scoff.

"There have to be sheep in this world, baby. Without them, what will the wolves eat?" I asked with a raised brow. Kat shrugged once before returning to her nail filing.

I watched her for a few seconds before returning my attention to the radio. What made her think that she was any better than those stooges that I had just sent to their deaths? Just what had made her believe that she was a wolf in this world- in _my_ world? Did she think that she was safe from my wrath now that we had spent a night together? I sneered down at the radio, gripping the knobs a bit too hard.

~:~

With my shades on, I drove along the more scenic route up towards the cerebellum. Kat was quietly looking out the window and, not for the first time, it made me wonder what she was thinking. Flashes of that night played behind my eyebrows whenever I was alone. I glanced at her from the corner of my eyes before refocusing on the road. I couldn't let this- whatever it was- distract me. But at the same time, I wondered if she knew how distracting she was?

"Forty-five minutes, Thrax," Kat spoke up.

With a few surprised blinks, I realized that we were nearing Cerebellum Hall. "Keep the engine running, baby. I'll be in and out," I said and parked the car in the parking lot of a nearby building.

"Just don't take too long. If you're not back within an hour, I'm leaving you behind," she teased.

"You would leave without me, baby?" I asked and pushed my shades onto my head. I stared down at her for a few seconds until she smiled and giggled softly. I was about to exit the car when her smaller hand came to rest on my cheek. With a deep gaze, she pecked me on the lips and I froze.

"Just come back in one piece."

~:~

Mary Beth didn't have too many cells bustling about the brain. But I wasn't about to complain. An understaffed brain made the job almost too easy. When I picked the lock for the hypothalamus, I was only moderately surprised to find an empty room. Was everyone on lunch break?

Gazing at the rotating DNA helix at the front of the room, I felt a wide grin slip onto my face. Whether it was my first or my 100thvictim, this part would never get old. Humming softly as I observed the sequence, I almost wished I could drag out this part for as long as possible. "Ooh don't you look _fine,"_ I cooed to the DNA bead as I plucked it from the sequence. Immediately, the DNA lost its stability and started to twist wildly. "That didn't take much. May have to move up the timeline a bit."

" _Not_ on _my_ watch!"

With a raised brow, I turned around to see an Immunity officer standing in the doorway with his gun pointed at me. "Now I know why this place was so empty. I am curious as to how the Five-O got wind of my plans."

"You viruses all think you're so smart. One of your men came forward. For a criminal, at least _he_ had a conscience," the officer said with a hard glare. "Now, put your hands in the air, and drop the DNA bead."

I could hear the alarms going off as the room gained a red tint to it. I raised a brow with a smirk. "You might wanna get some repair cells in here ASAP or else Mary Beth won't be looking too good," I said and approached the officer with my hands in the air. My posture was completely relaxed as I strolled towards him, but the officer with the picture of tense. His black eyes stared at me intensely and I grinned my most charming smile.

"Turn around and place your hands behind your back," the officer commanded.

"While this has been entertaining, we're gonna have to part ways, _officer,"_ I sneered. Faster than he could see coming, I heat up my claw and slashed it across his middle. As he cried out and bubbled away at my feet, I shook the remaining cytoplasm off my claw. I side-stepped the mess he made on the floors with a scoff. " _This_ does look useful, however. Much obliged, my man," I chuckled and picked up the dropped gun. With a dark grin, I slipped the DNA bead into my chain and headed for the door.

~:~

At first, I thought that the Immunity forces in Mary Beth were pretty spit, but they weren't half bad when they put their nuclei together. My one gun wasn't going to do much against the twenty plus guns on the other side of the entrance to Cerebellum Hall. I'd already wasted so much time ducking and dodging the Immunity officers in the Cerebellum that I was feeling _more_ than done with this city. With a sneer, I checked my remaining ammo.

" _Come out with your hands up! We have you surrounded!"_

I rolled my eyes with a sigh.

Three shots left.

 _"Come quietly and we won't have to use deadly force against you and your accomplice!"_

I froze. " _Spit,"_ I cursed softly before peeking out of the window to glance outside. There she was. Looking annoyed as hell, Kat was standing with her hands behind her back next to the officer with the bullhorn. She was saying something to the officer while rolling her eyes, but I had no idea what she was saying. I quickly leaned away from the window and took a deep breath.

I knew that a caught cell was a goner. She knew that too. Immunity didn't take kindly to viruses in their body. And an infected white blood cell from a foreign body? She was lucky that they hadn't shot her on site. They probably wanted to use her to get to me. With a sneer, I headed back towards the emergency stairs. Hopefully, there would be at least one car in the underground garage.

There were a few cars in the garage- all of them police cars. A few officers were outside, not paying much attention to the doors. "Six cops and three shots. The math doesn't _quite_ add up, but it should be fine," I muttered and slunk around in the shadows to the other side of the barricade. I would _make_ it fine. No _better_ than fine. I wasn't about to go down here. Not when I still had so much to do.

As silently as possible, I grabbed the officer in front of me with a hand over his mouth while slicing through the membrane on his neck with my hot claw. I quickly dragged his body behind one of the concrete support beams and left him behind. He was already turning into a puddle on the ground. I had to move quickly before they noticed the mess. With my eyes trained on the officers listening to their walkie talkies, I slipped into the open passenger door of a patrol car.

 _"Suspect is still at large."_

 _"Upper floors clear. He's not up here."_

 _"He's got to be on the first floor."_

 _"Underground team, keep an eye out in case he tries to make a break for it."_

"10-4. We've got eyes on all the exits," one of the female officers replied.

Once I was sitting in the driver's seat, I heat up my claw as hot as it could go before roughly shoving it into the ignition. Immediately, the appearance of the ride changed as the engine revved to life. I didn't have time to admire my hotrod, however.

"We have eyes on him!"

"He's in the underground garage!"

"Where's Mito!?"

Without a second thought, I gassed up the engine, plowed through the remaining cop cars and headed for the exit. The radio in the car was still tuned in to the police chatter and I turned down the volume slightly. I needed to think. There was nothing stopping me from making my escape. I had a ride and a gun if I needed it. I could high tail it out of here while riding on the wave of Mary Beth's next cough and leave this sinking ship behind.

 _"Take the apprehended suspect back to the station!"_

"Spit," I cursed softly. Kat… I looked ahead at the open road before me. Feeling an unfamiliar feeling in my chest, I clenched my hands around the steering wheel.

With a noise of disgust, I turned the wheel to the right as far as it could go, and I made a U-turn back towards the front of Cerebellum Hall. I could see Kat's red membrane sticking out like a sore thumb amongst all the blue, Immunity officers. Once I was close enough, I could see that she was putting up one hell of a fight with several officers- kicking and screaming at them. When I saw her bite an officer to get him to drop her, my eyes widened. The Immunity cell stumbled backward before collapsing in a hot, bubbling mess of cytoplasm. Kat was right. She did make a mess.

Holding down the horn to get her attention, I slowed slightly before turning to make another wild, U-turn. My reckless driving took out at least three cop cars and one of the pillars outside Cerebellum Hall. Whoops.

Most of the officers were ducked behind their cars and shooting wildly. Revving the engine again, I headed towards Kat. As I got closer, I could see her eyes widen as a scream tore from her throat.

" _Thrax!"_ she shouted.

To be fair, I did slow down before running into her.

"Sorry, baby. No time to stop. We've got a flight to catch!" I shouted out the window at her. I could see the angry fire in her eyes as she cursed at me with some _very_ colorful language. I had to drive way too slow to keep from putting Kat in any more danger than she already was. In the rearview mirror, I could see a few cop cars on our tail. "Keep your head down, baby!" I shouted with a laugh and aimed the gum at the windshield. Her eyes widened before she tried to lay as flat as possible on the hood of the car. Shooting out the glass, I did the best I could to maintain control while reaching out to grab Kat from off the hood.

"Ow! _Ow!_ That's my _hair_ , you good for nothing, piece of spit!" she screamed at me while wriggling her body into the car.

"Now, don't be like that, baby. You should be happy that I saved your membrane with such _style,"_ I said with a chuckle. I glanced over at Kat and almost died of laughter. She was laying sideways on the passenger seat with her hands still cuffed behind her. Her hair was the most disheveled that I've ever seen and there were spots of cytoplasm on the corner of her mouth and on her ruffled clothes. She was missing her heels and used her bare foot to kick me in the side. I shot her a glare.

"You _left_ me! You were gonna hand me over to Immunity and save your own skin," she said and kicked me again.

I smacked her leg before shoving her foot away from me. "What would you have done if you were me?"

"I _thought_ we were in this _together!_ I didn't think you'd be so low as to leave me to _die!"_

"I came back. What's the big deal?"

When she didn't respond, I glanced over at her. She was glaring at me harshly with her jaw clenched. My hands clenched the steering wheel. Noticing the growing, wet spots on her shirt, I looked away. "How badly are you hurt?"

"Like _you_ care," she spat. I sighed.

~:~

This chapter is dedicated to RoseWolfie for being such a loyal fan and an AH-MAZING artist!


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